Pin guide and pinsetting machine

Abstract

A bowling pin handling apparatus for use with a bowling pin potting machine comprising a pin storage magazine mounted beneath a cantilevered elongated distributing conveyor. A plurality of pin receiving and storage pockets arranged in a generally triangular pattern or array formation in the magazine receiving pins delivered from the end of the conveyor. Pin guides for the #1 pin pocket include an arched shaped frame supporting a resilient pendent adapted to dampen the movement of the pin as it moves into the pocket, side guides to limit and control yawing of the pin in its movement toward the pocket and extended guide rollers to smooth the transfer of the #1 pin from the distributer to the guide rollers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a bowling pinspotting machine of the type having a distributor mechanism for distributing and feeding pins to a storage area of a shuttle in which the distributor comprises a conveyor belt terminating in a distributor trip lever, said storage area of the shuttle assembly having individual storage area for each bowling pin and the storage area for the #1 or head pin having a head pin roller guide along the sides thereof for guiding the head pin as it moves between the end of the distributor and the individual storage area for the head pin, the head pin roller guide comprising guide rollers at the upper edge of the narrower rearward portion of the headpin pocket or individual storage area keeping the bowling pins in a generally longitudinal direction with respect to the head pin guide assembly, the improvement comprising: a. side rails or rods extending along the length of the head pin roller guide, said guide rails being adapted to deflect the head pin back into a longitudinal path if the headpin yaws more then a amount determined by the position of side rails as the head pin moves from the distributor into the headpin pocket or storage area of the shuttle assembly; and   b. resilient means suspended above the head pin roller guides, said resilient means being adopted to contact the top of the head pin as it moves longitudinally along the length of the head pin roller guide assembly so as to prevent the bowling pins from pitching more then a predetermined amount as the head pin moves from the distributor into the headpin pocket or storage area of the shuttle assembly.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the resilient means comprise; a. a generally inverted U shaped arch extending over the center of the head pin roller guide in a transverse direction; and   b. a resilient piece of sheet material attached to the top of the arched and extending down into the path of the headpin whereby the side of the base of the head pin will contact the bottom of the resilient material, the positioning and resiliency of the material being such that the movement of the pin will be dampened but not stopped as the pin moves along the head pin roller guide.   
     
     
       3. In a bowling pinspotting machine of the type described in claim 1 wherein the distance between the end of the distributor trip lever and the guide rollers at the upper edge of the narrower rearward portion of the headpin pocket is more then two and one half inches, the improvement comprising additional guide rollers mounted between the end of the trip lever and the existing guide rollers so as to reduce the distance between the end of the trip lever and the first guide rollers thereby reducing the unsupported distance that the pin must travel between the trip lever and the guide rollers and reducing the extremes of pin motion as the pin moves toward the pocket. 
     
     
       4. In a bowling pinspotting machine of the type described in claim 1, the improvement comprising additional guide rollers mounted between the end of the trip lever and the existing guide rollers so as to reduce the distance between the end of the trip lever and the first guide rollers thereby reducing the unsupported distance that the pin must travel between the trip lever and the guide rollers and reducing the extremes of pin motion as the pin moves toward the pocket. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the addition rollers are mounted on supports attached to the existing plates to which the previously existing guide rollers are mounted. 
     
     
       6. In a bowling pin respotting machine of the type having a distributor mechanism for feeding bowling pins to a shuttle in which the distributor mechanism comprises a conveyor belt terminating in a distributor trip lever which feeds bowling pins to the shuttle and the shuttle includes a headpin roller guide for guiding the headpin into its shuttle position after it is discharged from the end of the distributor trip lever, the improvement comprising: a. side guide rails extending upwardly along the sides of the headpin roller guide; and   b. resilient means suspended above the headpin roller guide, said resilient means being adopted to contact the area between the top of the base and the top of the belly of the #1 pin as it move longitudinally along the headpin roller guide toward the head pin pocket, whereby the pin is prevented from bouncing off the head pin roller guide.   
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6, wherein the resilient means comprises and inverted U-shaped frame mounted above the headpin roller guide having resilient finger means extending downwardly into the path of the bowling pin, said resilient finger means being sufficiently long to contact the top of the pin to dampen and reduce bouncing of the pin while not interfering with the movement of the pin in a longitudinal direction toward the number 1 pocket. 
     
     
       8. An improvement to a bowling pin handling apparatus for use with a bowling pinspotting machine of the type comprising an elongated, contractible-expansible, variable length distributing belt conveyor, a pin storage magazine, means mounting said magazine beneath said bell conveyor, a plurality of pin receiving and storing pockets arranged in generally triangular formation in said magazine, means pivotally mounting one end of said belt conveyor whereby the other end thereof can swing freely back and forth above said pockets, means for moving said belt conveyor across said magazine to deliver bowling pins into said pockets and means for varying the length of said belt conveyor to effect the successive delivery of pins from the end of said belt conveyor into selected pockets, a frame provided with a plurality of pin supports conforming in arrangement with the arrangement of said pockets in said magazine, means mounting said frame for movement beneath said magazine, and means for moving said frame in a substantially horizontal plane beneath said magazine to effect the discharge of a single pin from each of said pockets; and wherein each of said pockets in said magazine comprises spaced downwardly inclined pin guides, a butt guide and a pin head rest, and wherein said pin supports on said frame coact with said pin head rest to support the butt end of a pin while said head end of the pin rests on said head rest, said pin while so supported in a pin pocket being positioned with its longitudinal axis lying substantially in a horizontal plane; and wherein said pin guides of the pin pocket holding the #1 pin are substantially longer than the pin guides for the #2-#10 pin pockets, and non-friction rollers mounted on said #1 pocket pin guides for radial engagement with a bowling pin for guiding a pin delivered from said distributing conveyor into said #1 pocket, wherein the improvements comprises: a. side rails or rods extending along the length of the head pin roller guide, said guide rails being adapted to deflect the head pin back into a longitudinal path if the headpin yaws more then a amount determined by the position of side rails as the head pin moves from the distributor into the headpin pocket or storage area of the shuttle assembly; and   b. resilient means suspended above the head pin roller guide, said resilient means being adopted to contact the top of the head pin as it moves longitudinally along the length of the head pin roller guide assembly so as to prevent the bowling pins from pitching more then a predetermined amount as the head pin moves from the distributor into the headpin pocket or storage area of the shuttle assembly.   
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 3 wherein the resilient means comprise; a. a generally inverted U shaped arch extending over the center of the head pin roller guide in a transverse direction;and   b. a resilient piece of sheet material attached to the top of the arched and extending down into the path of the headpin whereby the side of the base of the head pin will contact the bottom of the resilient material, the positioning and resiliency of the material being such that the movement of the pin will be dampened but not stopped as the pin moves along the head pin roller guide.